Method of sealing boxes.



J. N. HAHN.

METHOD OF SEALING BOXES.

APPLICATION men OCT. 1. m5.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

mmw.

.of Ohio, have invented g am-a pardon.

JOHN H. HAHN. 0F LAKEWOOD, OHIO.

METHOD OF SEALING BOXES.

1,289,74ltl.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN N. zen of the United States, wood, in the county of Cuyahoga and State a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Sealing Boxes, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

This invention has more particular refer"- ence than its title suggests to the art of sealing a box while the same is packed, entirely closed and ready for shipping. The idea is especially adapted to the securing of adjoining portions, such as the receptacle and cover, of a comparatively thin fiber board box into which nails cannot be effectively driven.

- My object has been the discovery of some feasible mode of closing the meeting edges at the opening to a box without requiring either a frame such as wood to which such edges might be secured. or a machine stitch operation therealong. The invention shown, described and #953828 issued on April 5, 1910, to me and another jointly, enables the accomplishment of a like result. but its use is wholly dependent upon the contents of the box and specifically upon the shape and degree of hardness thereof. As a further object I have thought to greatly strengthen the closure'by effecting the same in conjunction with a suitable reinforcing member intimately associated with the box material after the manner shown, described and claimed in my co-pending application filed March 8,

1915. Serial No. 12.887.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. wherein is shown preferred and modified embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that many other changes, variations and modifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

Adverting to the drawings:

Figure I is a perspective view of a box reinforced and sealed after the manner of my invention.

Fig. II is an enlarged top plan of a por- HAHN, a citiresiding at Lakebox showing a second claimed in U. S. Patent Fig. V is a-view corresponding to Fig. IV-

after the final operation.

Fig. VI is a perspective view of one of the sealing agencies which according to the preferred form consists of a staple.

Fig. VII is a view-corresponding to Fig. III showing a modified form of staple.

Fig. VIII and IX correspond to Figs. IV and V and show the same modification as that which appears in Fig. VII.

" Fig. X is'a top plan of a portion of a modification in respect to the fastening agency which in this instance is an ordinary tack passed through suitable openings in the reinforcing member.

Fig.- XI is a section on line XIXI of Fig. X.

The type of box which appears in the drawing is composed mainly of fiber board material which for certain purposes requires a reinforcing member to stiffen and strengthen the same as a whole. I have thought to devise a mode of so constructing a box of this character that two ing edges shall overlap for a given distance and then fastening or sealing such edges together at the points of reinforcement therebv in turn lending strength and greater durability. Whilethe subject matter of this invention is equally useful in its application to tvpes of boxes different from those shown and irrespective of any reinforcement being applied thereto I have elected for illustration the most advantageous use to which my invention may be put regardless of var ous modifications of form.

In Fig. I the preferred form which I have selected comprises a rectangular box having a pair of ends 1 composed of fiber board supported upon wooden frames 2. The employment of the'stifiening frames 2 may be dispensed with depending upon the size of the box and the weight of the proposed contents thereof. The other four sides of the box are formed of an integral piece of fiber board material 3 which has been first reinforced by four equispaced pieces of strap iron 4. 'Such strap iron may be presumed as having been applied by machine operaadj oinv tion as explained in one of my co-pending applications earlier referred to, such that in'- tegral struck out tongues 5 (indicated in dotted lines in Fig. III) pierce the box material and are clenched against the opposite side thereof. According to my invention the material 3 is somewhat longer than the sum of the four sides of the finished box and is moreover, after having beeen reinforced by strips 4, creased and then scoredup along the four lines 6', 7, 8 and 9, which are to constitute the corners of the box. As so formed a comparatively narrow flap portion 3 is formed between the crease 6 and the near end of the material 3. I choose to have this flap 3 underlie the other end of the material 3 as is clearly shown in Fig. I, having discovered that such an arrangement effects a more uniform clamping of the adjoining separate edges. It is to be presumed that in employing a box such as thatillustrated three of the sides are permanently secured in place, in this instance by nailing to the frame 2, while the fourth side he comes more in the nature of a hinged cover I which is to be finally secured by the party packing the box preparatory to shipping.

Heretofore tubular boxes, the sides of which were formed of a piece of integral flexible material, had their meeting edges stitched together by machine operation before the ends were put in place; or else it Was necessary to have some kind of backing on the interior of the box with which engagement might be had when the cover was finally sealed. It was to avoid the necessity of such a provision that the invention of my patent earlier referred to was conceived. Such an improvement has had its limitations, however, owing to the fact that dependence had to be placed upon contents of specific character. My present invention makes ,it possible to effect a locking engagement between the overlapping edges of the material 3 and additionally contrivingto have such locking engagement effected where the box material has been reinforced, quite independently of the character of the contents of the box and while the same has its ends in place and is otherwise entirely closed.

By preference I employ for this purpose a staple 10 having prongs 11 reinforced only part way of their length such that the pointed ends may the'more readily be upset and furthermore that the prong is compelled to take its bend at a predetermined distance from the back thereof. This type of staple is shown in detail in Fig. VI and should be of a width just sufficient to straddle the reinforcing strips 4 as appears in Figs. 1 and II. I effect the clenching of the two over-' lapped ends of the material 3 and the strips 4 by means of a rigidly supported arm. 12 having a forked extremity to form two pointed prongs 13 having flat though inwardly beveled upper sides. That is to say, the top surfaces of the prongs 11 slope slightly downwardly in a direction toward each other as appears in Fig. VIII. By this arrangement the upsetting of the prongs is toward each other so as to envelop the strips 4 and thematerial 3 and flap 3* to which they are at-- tached. These latter are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width of the strip 4 and are punched through the material 3 just underneath and in the direction of the extent of that end of the strips 4 which are afiixed to what may be said to constitute in effect the cover of the box. The position of the forks 13 after insertion clearly appears in Figs. II and III. In practice the arm 12 is supported the proper distance above the table or some other suitable support for the box and the, latter then brought forcibly thereagainst such that the prongs 13 puncture the material 3 at the points just indicated. Thereupon the staples 10 may be properly inserted and compressed through the cover and flap, as appears in Fig. III, to have their points impinge against the prongs 13 as appears in Fig. IV, whereby the points are finally upset or clenched as appears in Fig. V. This latter view fairly discloses in what manner my method of sealing is effected at the portions of the box best capable of forming a durable closure.

Figs. VII, VIII and IX correspond precisely to Figs. III, IV and V with the exception merely in a modification of the form of staple 14 having pointed ends 15 to the plain type more commonly found on the market.

Figs. X and XI disclose in what manner the prineipleof my invention may be utilized by the employment of an ordinary tack 16. As an incident to the character of strap iron which I prefer to employ holes are in evidence at intervals therealong corresponding in shape to the tongues which have been struck out. Through such apertures the points 17 of the tacks may be driven to be finally upset in similar manner as is clearly seen in Fig. XI. In this case one of the prongs should, of course, be caused to enter obliquely soas to come underneath the middle of the strap iron.

I claim:

l. The method of sealing a closed box which consists in applying strap iron therearound', overlapping adjoining edges of the box and also opposite ends of said strap iron at one side of the box, inserting an independcntly rigid backing having a beveled surface by causing the same to penetrate through another side of the box along a plane substantially parallel to the plane of overlapping so as to present such beveled surface opposed to the inner side of the inner of said overlapped edges and in a way to cause said sloping surface to recede in one direction, driving a pointed member through said box and against said beveled surface whereby invariably to insure the upsetting of the point of said member in the particular direction of recession of said surface, and then withdrawin the backing.

2. The method of sealing a closed box which consists in reinforcing adjoining edges thereof, overlapping the reinforced portions thereof, inserting a forked backing by causing the same to penetrate the box on each side of said reinforcement and driving a twopointed staple through said edges on each side of said reinforcement and against said backing to upset both the points interiorly of the box, said staple straddling and engaging the outer reinforced portion, and finally withdrawing the backing.

3. The method of sealing a rectangular box which consists in applying reinforcement to adjoining edge portions thereof, overlapping the ends of said reinforcementagainst one side of the box, inserting an independently rigid forked metal backing byeausing the same to penetrate the near side of said box material closely adjacent each side of said reinforcement. presenting a separately reinforced staple so as to straddle'near portions of said overlapped reinforcement, driving such staple against said backing whereby to bind said overlapped ends together to said box and finally withdrawing the latter.

4. The method of sealing the joining flap of an otherwise closed fiber sided box, which consists in clenching metal reinforcement both to the box and to the flap, overlapping said reinforced flap upon itself, presenting an extremely rigid forked arm in a direction substantially parallel to and below said flap. causing the forks to enter the box undcrncath the flap. placing a staple so as to straddle said reinforcement over the position of said forks, driving the points of said staple through the flaps and against said forks respectively. whereby to hold the flap and side of the box together on opposite sides of said metal reinforcement and then separating the box and arm.

5. The method of sealing a fiber box which consists in applying metal reinforcing strips across said box material, lapping one free edge portion upon another so that the reinforced portions overlap, forcibly bringing another portion of such box into engagement with a forked arm having two sloping surfaces convergin toward each other and presented substantially parallel to the plane of lapped contact on opposite sides of said overlapped reinforced portions, causing such arm to penetrate said box whereby its sloping sides constitute a double backing interiorly of said lapped portions, driving a twopointed staple through said portions against the sloping surfaces of said backing whereby to upset its points toward each other and envelop said reinforced portions, and then separatin said box and arm.

6. he method of sealing a rectangular box which consists in lapping one free edge portion upon another, presenting the planes of such portions parallel to arigidly supported forked arm having the near surfaces of its forks beveled with definite relation to each other, orcibly bringing an adjoining side of such ox into engagement with the relatively transversely projected points of said arm such that the latter penetrates such adjoining side to constitute a double backing interiorly adjacent "said .lapped portions,,

driving a staple through spaced portions of said box and against the forks of said arm whereby to upset its points thereagainst in a predetermined direction, and then withdrawing said box.

7. The method of sealing a closed box which consists in applying strap iron therearound, overlapping adjoining edges of the box and also opposite ends of said strap iron the box, inserting an indebacking having a beveled surface by causin the same to penetrate through another si e of the box in line with one pair of edges of said overlapped straps to present such beveled surface substantially parallel to the plane of said overlapped edges and in a way to cause said beveled surface to recede in a direction toward the other pair of edges of said straps, driving a pointed member through saidbox laterally of said first mentioned pair of strap edges and against said beveled surface whereby invariably to insure the upsetting of said pointed member in the particular direction to- Ward the other pair of edges of said straps and thus partially inclose said reinforced area of the box, and finally withdrawing the backing.

Signed by me, this 30th day of September, 1915.

JOHN N. HAHN.

at one side of pendently rigid 

